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U.N. Warns Of 'Possible Massacre' In Northeastern Iraq

Members of Kurdish security forces take part during an intensive security deployment after clashes with militants of the Islamic State, in Jalawla, Diyala province, on Friday.

Reuters/Landov

The United Nations is calling for action to prevent what it’s describing as a possible massacre in Iraq’s northeastern city of Amerli, which has been under siege for two months by Islamic State militants.

The city’s population is largely Turkmen Shia, seen as apostates by the hardline Sunni Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL.

“The town is besieged by ISIL and reports confirm that people are surviving in desperate conditions. I urge the Iraqi Government to do all it can to relieve the siege and to ensure that the residents receive lifesaving humanitarian assistance or are evacuated in a dignified manner. Iraq’s allies and the international community should work with the authorities to prevent a human rights tragedy,” Mladenov said.

Amerli, with an estimated population of about 18,000 has been besieged by Islamic State insurgents for weeks.

Iraq’s most influential cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani also expressed concern Friday over the plight of Amerli, according to Reuters.

“The plight of the Shiite villages, about 100 miles north of Baghdad, is among several crises the U.S. is evaluating to gauge whether American airstrikes could help. But so far, no plans have been presented to the Pentagon for an imminent operation, according to Defense Department officials.

“An intervention to save the population could raise pressure on the U.S. to address a number of other looming humanitarian disasters that Iraq’s military has been helpless to prevent.”

As we reported Friday, U.S. officials have declined to rule out expanding airstrikes against the al-Qaida-inspired Islamic State and have become increasingly alarmed over the group’s “growing capacity” in recent months, as it has made significant territorial gains in Iraq.